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Multimedia Topics

The document discusses different types of transmission media including guided media like twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable as well as unguided media like wireless networks. It provides details on the characteristics of each type of media such as propagation speed, noise susceptibility, data rates, and installation complexity. Propagation time, the time it takes for a signal to travel through the transmission medium, determines the amount of data in the channel at any given moment and is a major factor in network performance.

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16 views

Multimedia Topics

The document discusses different types of transmission media including guided media like twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable as well as unguided media like wireless networks. It provides details on the characteristics of each type of media such as propagation speed, noise susceptibility, data rates, and installation complexity. Propagation time, the time it takes for a signal to travel through the transmission medium, determines the amount of data in the channel at any given moment and is a major factor in network performance.

Uploaded by

ga18392
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Transmission Media

EECE 542
Classes of Transmission Media
• Guided (uses a physical conduit)
– Twisted-pair cable
• Unshielded
• Shielded
– Coaxial cable
– Fiber-optic cable
• Unguided (no conduit)
Propagation Speed
• Speed of light in a vacuum = 3x108 m/s = c
• Other media:
c
v

  = dielectric constant of the medium, >= 1
• Copper: v = 2.3x108 m/s
• Fiber-optic cable: v = 2x108 m/s
Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP)
Cable
• A pair of coated wires is twisted together
• Why twist the wires together?
– Reduces the undesirable effects of noise and
crosstalk (watch out for NEXT)
• Inexpensive and easy to use/install
• EIA Categories:
– Category 1: telephone/low data
– Category 2: voice/data up to 4 Mbps
– Category 3: 3 twists/ft; 10 Mbps; new phone std.
– Category 4: 3 twists/ft; 16 Mbps
– Category 5: 100 Mbps
Shielded Twisted-Pair (STP)
Cable
• Each cable is encased in a metal foil or
mesh.
– Less noise susceptibility
– Less susceptibility to crosstalk from adjacent
cables
• More expensive than UTP
• More difficult to install than UTP
Coaxial Cable
Coax – cont.
• Very low susceptibility to noise
• Cable dimensions and dielectric material
can be configured for different applications
• Radio Government (RG) ratings
– RG-8, RG-9, and RG-11: Thick Ethernet
– RG-58: Thin Ethernet and RF Comm. (50 ohm)
– RG-59: CATV (75 ohms)
Optical Fiber
• Cable made of glass or plastic to transmit light
• Transmission depends on refraction and
reflection
Propagation Modes of Fiber
• The physical construction of the fiber can
lead to three modes or types of propagation
• Different material densities can be used to
affect the reflective and refractive
properties of the cable
Multimode, step-index

• Multiple beams take different paths


• Core density remains uniform
• Reflections occur at the core/cladding
interface due to a step change in density
• Considerable distortion and loss
Multimode, graded-index

• Multiple beams, multiple paths


• Density of the core decreases as it
approaches the cladding interface
• No reflections
• Distortion occurs, but less signal loss
Single Mode

• Light source is highly focused


• Core density: uniform and much lower
– Critical angle is close to 90 degrees (no
reflections)
– Smaller diameter than multimode
• Low distortion and low loss
Unguided Media
• Uses free space as the medium
• Always modulated signals (sinusoidal
carriers)
• Ex: WLANs, Bluetooth, cell phones,
satellite phones, broadcast TV, wireless
PDAs
Propagation Time
• Propagation time = Distance / Propagation
Speed
• Determines the amount of data in the
channel (pipe) during a transmission
• A major factor in network performance!!!
An Example
• A SONET fiber-optic system using STS-48 signaling
carries data at 2488 Mbps over a distance of 2000 km.
How much data is in the cable at any given time?
Prop. Speed = 2x108 m/s
so the propagation time =
2000x103/2x108 = .01 sec.
# of bits in the fiber at any time =
2488x106 bps x .01 sec. = 24.88 x 106 bits

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